Brown's Daily Word 10-31-07

Good Morning,
Praise the Lord, for it is the eve of All Saints Day. Jesus came to transform sinners into saints. He came to transform the rebels in to worshippers. He came to welcome home the repentant prodigals. He came to guide the pilgrims home. He is the Light of the world. As we read John 1:5, "And the Light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not" " The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out. " He is the Lord of the second chance.
Jonah is the patron saints of all of us who follow the Lord reluctantly, those of us who have the propensity to wander away from the Lord who loves us, those of us who have dislike for those are who are outside fold. Jesus retold the amazing account of Jonah as something which actually happened (Matt 12:38:41; Luke 11:29-41), so there’s no reason to say it’s only a fable. Jonah was one of God’s chosen men, commissioned with a message. He lived in the eighth century BC as a contemporary of his fellow prophets Elisha, Hosea, and Amos. So what is Jonah’s message, both for the people of his time and us in the 21st century? It all has to do with repentance and the solemnity of God’s judgement.
The story of Jonah is all about God’s goodness to people who don’t deserve it – to the Assyrians, to Jonah himself, and to you and me. Jonah was a messenger and herald of Jehovah but his story concerns not his own people, but the fate of Nineveh. At this time, Nineveh was the capital city of the cruel nation of Assyria, to the east. Jonah was commissioned by Jehovah, “Arise, go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it; because its wickedness is come up before me.” He could hardly believe his ears! But the call was clear, “Go … preach.” “Go and convert the people of Nineveh!”
God was telling Jonah to be a missionary to the first worst people on earth. We also are told to live out our faith wherever God places us, whether in a foreign country or at home, and to be His witnesses in an unbelieving world. God had made it abundantly clear what He required of Jonah, but Jonah wasn’t having anything to do with it: he wanted Nineveh to be blasted, rather than blessed, by Jehovah, paid back for their evil deeds and wicked ways. Jonah refused point-blank to follow instructions. Instead of setting out to travel eastwards, he did the opposite and took a ship with the westward destination of Tarshish in Spain, in those days the end of the known world! Why?
It is written, “But Jonah ran away from the Lord”, perhaps not literally, but certainly deliberately. He had clearly thought out a plan, taking money to pay his fare, choosing a ship going as far as possible from Nineveh. Jonah’s reaction was not so much due to cowardice or timidity as his conduct on the ship proved. No, it was because he thought he had a theological problem. How could God have anything to do with the nasty people of Nineveh, the “evil empire” of his day? Jonah regarded Jehovah as the exclusive God of Israel, to be jealously kept for their blessing only. In his opinion, God should not be concerned for the lives and spiritual well-being of those outside the fold of Israel; they had no share in the divine revelation. How wrong he was! God loves His creation, and as the New Testament tells us, He is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
If Jonah could have been sure that God was going to judge Nineveh and wipe it out, he would have been quite happy. But he suspected that if he obeyed God’s call to go and preach repentance to the people, they would turn back from their wicked ways so that He could show them His mercy. Jonah wanted nothing to do with that! The story of Jonah’s wrong thinking is surely a reminder that Christians, God’s people, can get it wrong sometimes. Yes, we have been saved by God’s grace, born again, but it’s all too apparent that we are far from infallible. In fact, although we have been forgiven, we are still sinful people, prone to wrong motives, failure to follow God’s commands .
Jonah hardened his heart against God’s call because such was his intense distaste for the task. He compounded the wrong by trying to distance himself from the city to which he should have gone. But the God we have to serve is the omnipresent One from whom there’s no escape. The psalmist declared that there was no place to which he could flee to escape the presence of God (Psalm 139:7-12). The same applied to Jonah – and still applies to us as well. Jonah traveled 60 miles south to the port of Joppa to board his ship for Spain, but God did not intervene to stop him. It had been so easy to desert – the first step downwards was easily taken.
In giving us free-will, God often allows us a long lead before He determines that enough is enough! Like Jonah, we cannot run away from God. God exists everywhere. For Jonah the moment of truth came as we read, “But Jehovah sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.” The Authorized Version is even more expressive, “God hurled a great wind … a mighty tempest.”
We may deliberately choose our own way but we cannot evade the consequences of our actions. Sooner or later we must face the One we have wronged and render account of what we have done. Sometimes God, in His mercy, places a road block in the path to arrest the backslider before it’s too late, and may even give a fresh opportunity of fulfilling God’s plan. Thank God that He’s the God of the “second chance”.
The sailors became increasingly concerned for their lives and “each cried to his god” but the storm only got worse. Sometimes, to the shame of believers in God, unenlightened pagans can act with a greater sensitivity than the children of God. The captain sensed something was seriously wrong and aroused Jonah from his slumbers. “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us.”
Jonah, the servant of the true God, was placed in the undignified position of being urged to pray by a heathen captain! The world around us is beset by enormous problems. Evil abounds. But what are we doing about it? Are we like Jonah so relaxed about it that we close our eyes to it? Our Christian duty is to pray to the living God for His intervention and for those in authority over us and for the Christian leaders who have some influence for good in society. The violent storm that battered the ship had a supernatural origin.
C S Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our health and prosperity, but, being hard of hearing, we fail to hear God’s voice in both. It’s then that God turns up the amplifier by means of suffering. Then his voice booms.” We mustn’t be surprised at the means that God uses to teach us the lessons of life.
The situation was getting desperate and Jonah was asked, “What should we do to you, to make the sea calm down for us?” Jonah told them to throw him into the sea “and it will become calm … it is my fault.” He accepted responsibility for the storm because of his disobedience. Jonah knew that his folly had brought its own penalty and that we cannot trifle with the Almighty. To the credit of the mariners, they did their best to avoid the certain loss of Jonah’s life, by rowing all the harder but it was hopeless. They offered a prayer to Jehovah that they might not be accountable for the life of the prophet, then, reluctantly, they threw Jonah into the raging sea.
What happened then was miraculous! Immediately the storm died down and the sea was calm. There was only one explanation: the Creator God, Jehovah had said the word which Jesus would say centuries later, “Quiet, be still!” (Mark 4:39).
But there was another act of Providence taking place beneath the waves. God had “provided a great fish” to be at the right place at the right time, “to swallow Jonah” and thus to save his life and to fulfil his God-given mission. One can only marvel at God’s forbearance with sinful, undeserving humankind. Every Christian humbly has to acknowledge that fact; it’s all of His grace and mercy. It’s something we need to return thanks to God every day of our lives.
It was in the interior of the sea creature that Jonah prayed, “In my distress I called to the Lord.” He had been willing to be drowned, but the prospect of death by gradual digestion in the sea monster was something he had not anticipated! It was an urgent prayer! But it was also a prayer of faith. He knew the Lord could and would hear his prayer if it was offered sincerely, penitently, with confession and with faith.
Jonah’s prayer was wonderfully answered. It’s wonderful to read, “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, ‘Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.'” Jonah did, with the result that “The Ninevites believed God … He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.” Who can tell what a blessing we can be if we are humble enough to be used by God in our own sphere of service?

In Him,
Brown


Halloween Should Celebrate Saints, Not Sin
Sarah Jennings
“The Church identifies blesseds and saints not for their benefit but for the Church’s sake — to show that holiness is possible in every century, every walk of life, every part of the globe and every circumstance of life.”
On Oct. 31st, an estimated 36 million children ages 5-13 will don spooky or silly costumes as they roam neighborhood streets in search for “tricks or treats.” While the nation participates in rousing festivities, Christian parents wrestle with how to celebrate Halloween. Are we compromising our children’s faithfulness to the Gospel by allowing them to dress as witches and vampires? Are we destroying our witness by showing up at the neighbor’s doorstep disguised – thinly – as ghosts and goblins? Are we risking spiritual attack by participating in festivities that make light of sorcery, death, and demons?

The modern Halloween celebration certainly does not have the appearance of a Christian holiday. Every October the nation is bombarded with images that in fact, represent the very things the Christian faith warns believers against. Yet with the widespread celebration of Halloween, sitting at home is easier said than done. And opting out may result in even more guilt as parents remember their own innocent childhood revelry on October nights long ago. So many go in a third direction - hosting Christian or seasonal alternatives to Halloween.

The truth is, Halloween – in spite of its seemingly pagan appearance – is not only an ancient Church holiday but remains an important feast day in the Christian calendar to this very day. There’s no need to ignore Halloween – instead, Christians can celebrate it in a manner consistent with the original purpose.

The Meaning of “Halloween”

The name “Halloween” is derived from the phrase “All Hallow’s Eve.” In A.D. 741, the Church set aside Nov. 1st as “All Saint’s Day” in honor of the great Christian heroes from the dark and bloody days of the early Church. The feast of All Saints is one of the earliest Christian holy days and was originally set on May 13th . But officials moved it to November to counteract the popular pagan festival Samhain that dominated Roman culture at that time.

In keeping with Jewish tradition, early Christian feast days began at sundown the night before. October 31st was set aside as “All Hallow’s Eve” or the eve of “All Hallows.” Over the centuries and throughout various cultures, Halloween festivities have adopted customs and lore from many different traditions. By the time Halloween became popular in America around the mid-1800’s, its Christian focus was crowded out by myths, legends, and superstitions. But if we wade past the stories of Jack and his Lantern or witches cackling over brew, we will find real stories of lives lived for good in the face of evil.

Celebrating the Feast of All Saints

Those who get to “know” the early Christians are often surprised – and comforted – when they see past the old-fashioned robes to discover joys and struggles that sound familiar to our modern ears. Much wisdom can be gained from those who have “finished the race” (2Ti 4:7) and arrived at the finish line.

Families can pick a few Christian heroes of interest, and teach their children about their lives as well as the eras in which they lived. Then, as Halloween approaches, parents can throw an “All Saints’ Party” to celebrate – requesting that attendees dress as their favorite Saint or Biblical character. Or families and friends can wear these costumes as they venture out into local neighborhoods for some old-fashioned trick-or-treating. Who knows what opportunities to share the Gospel could come your way?

Here are some Saints you might want to learn more about:

The Early Martyrs

The Church faced much persecution in her infancy – and where there is persecution, there are opportunities for heroes to emerge. Countless Christians – young mothers, nobles, slaves, Roman guards, and every day men and women -- gave their lives in the name of Christ.

From the early Church fathers to 20th century poets, there are countless Christians whose stories weave a vibrant tapestry of Christian history. These three are noteworthy, but barely scratch the surface, so check out the resources at the bottom for more.


Maximillian Kolbe (1894-1941) was a Polish priest who came of age in the days building up to Nazi Germany. As a pastor, he boldly proclaimed the Gospel message to the world through his writings and ministry, traveling as far as Japan. He is most known for his final heroic act at Auschwitz where he was imprisoned for his faith. One day, his captors decided to kill ten prisoners as punishment for an escape attempt. Chosen among the ten was a Jewish husband and father who pleaded for his life. Kolbe stepped out of line, offering to take the father’s place. He was the last of the ten prisoners to die, ministering to the other nine as they withered away of starvation. Costume: Thick, round-rimmed glasses. Traditional Franciscan robe (A long, dark robe tied with a rope at the waist, sandals).

Kateri Tekakwitha, or “Lily of the Mohawks.”A Native American, Kateri was born in 1656 in New York.. Her father was a Mohawk warrior. When she was four, her mother died and two aunts and an uncle adopted her. She was baptized Christian at age 20 having accepted salvation in Christ as a teenager. Kateri’s faith was a source of suffering for her, but she never abandoned her Christian beliefs. As a young woman, Kateri traveled to a Christian colony of Native Americans located in Canada. She showed much devotion to the Lord through her prayer and service to those in need. On April 7th, 1680 Kateri died at the young age of 24. Her life and death inspire Christian devotion among the Native American population to this day. Costume: Traditional Native American (preferably Mohawk) dress, braided hair, accompanied with a cross around the neck.

Joan of Arc’s story is filled with tumult and controversy. She was born in France in 1412 to faithful, peasant Christians. At age 17, Joan felt God communicating to her, ordering her to help the King of France take his kingdom back from England and the Duke of Burgundy. Joan experienced much military success after French officials set aside their reservations of the young, zealous woman, and placed a small army under her command. She was eventually captured by the opposition and tried as a heretic. She died a martyr’s death at age 19. It was only after her death that officials cleared her declaration of guilt and recognized her as a Saint. Costume: Armor, shield, accompanied by a flowing skirt, and carrying a battle flag.